World Cafe Next: U.S. Royalty

Our first World Cafe: Next artist of the new year is the Washington, D.C., band U.S. Royalty. Led by brothers John and Paul Thornley, the group will release its second album (Blue Sunshine) on Jan. 21. After a year of touring and the death of the Thornleys' father, U.S. Royalty found a way to infuse its polished new album with the raw energy of its live shows.